Getting Wasted Why binge drinking is bad for your health

What is binge drinking? Whether you are trying to get drunk or just having a night out with friends, binge drinking means drinking a lot of alcohol quickly. For men, that means having more than four drinks on a single occasion, and for women, more than three.

What’s the problem with binge drinking?

When you binge drink, your body cannot process the alcohol as fast as you are drinking it. This makes you intoxicated (drunk). Many factors affect exactly how fast the alcohol is broken down by your body and how drunk you get. Whether you are male or female, how old you are, how much you usually drink and your weight all make a difference. However, on average, it takes your body about 90 minutes to break down and get rid of a standard drink.

Why would binge drinking affect my health?

Being drunk affects your body as well as your judgment, reflexes, and behaviour. Young people are at particular risk when they binge drink. They may not be used to drinking alcohol, and are more likely to put themselves in risky situations.

What is a standard drink?

Drinks come in all types and sizes. A ‘standard drink’ is:

341 mL (12 oz.) bottle of beer
5% alcohol

142 mL (5 oz.) glass of wine
12% alcohol

43 mL (1.5 oz.) of hard liquor
40% alcohol

Drinking large amounts of alcohol could have a number of effects on your health and well-being, including:

having a hangover

getting into a fight

having unwanted sex or pushing unwanted sex on others

having blackouts (when you forget what happened when you were drunk)

getting injured or killed from a fall, car accident, fire, or drowning, and

getting sick and possibly dying from alcohol poisoning.

Over the long term, repeated binge drinking also increases your risk of:

developing an addiction to alcohol

damage to your stomach, liver and brain

developing cancer

having sexual problems, and

developing or worsening mental health problems like depression.

In addition to health risks, binge drinking can also impact your social life. When you are drunk, you may do things that you would not normally do when sober. You may feel bad or embarrassed about your actions, or have problems with friends or loved ones because of your behaviour.

Tips for drinking safely

If you are planning to drink, try these tips to help keep yourself safe.

Pay attention to how much you are drinking. Count your drinks. Know your limit and stay below it.